Bon Voyage...To Me!

I'm leaving for Exotic Erie, PA tomorrow. On Facebook, my brother has announced my travels to one and all claiming CB (that's me) will "rock E-town". I certainly intend to do my best.

My BFF* thinks "rock" isn't the right word for what I will do to Erie. I wonder what she would prefer? Maybe I will "make E-town off the HOOK" or "jazz it up!" (I do have some pretty impressive jazz hands). She is probably thinking more along the lines of "have a nice time and see some family and friends in Erie". While that may be true (okay, it IS true) it doesn't make for a very punchy Facebook wall post.

After a couple of days in Erie, aforementioned BFF and I will be road trippin' to Hersey for a much anticipated wedding (photos to come). It is a six hour drive and I have created a mix on my ipod of belt-em-out and dance-in-your-seat songs for us to enjoy. I can't wait!

To cap it all off, I will actually be seeing my dad and the puppy, Rosie. They will be getting into town Monday night. Unfortunately, Mom has to work and Daisy just had some fairly embarrassing and uncomfortable surgery, so they won't be joining us.

I am so excited to "have a nice time and see family and friends"!

*Just messing with you, Jo, that Facebook post made me laugh, too. So did your texts!

Talk with the Animals

When I was a little girl, my family got a Cocker Spaniel that we called "Lady". I'm pretty sure that I insisted on that highly unoriginal, but nevertheless suitable, name. Lady was a pretty great dog, inspiring my brother an I to sing songs about her, to her. We didn't go so far as to write new songs, we basically just Weird Al'd some classics, inserting her name and other details about her. The most primitive, and likely the first of the songs, was "Bicycle Bicycle Built for Two" and just exchanged "Daisy" for "Lady".

Later, we got more creative with the theme song from one of our favorite Disney Films, "Davey Crockett".

My favorite substitution is "kilt her a bee when she was only three" Clever, cause it was true!

Not only did I sing to our dog, but I also claimed to be able to speak with her. I believe I called it "dog talk" or some such nonsense. I never really thought I could talk to her, but I put on a show of it, and certainly thought I had the neighborhood kids fooled. They would humor me probably thinking: "poor girl, she really thinks she is talking to that dog. I hope her parents get her some help" or, more likely, "lets just go along with this, at least she isn't making us sing again".

I'm pretty sure I was a bit of a tyrant with an inflated sense of my own talent, intelligence, and maturity. Hmm...I guess not much has changed.

Anyway, the whole idea of talking with my pets eventually petered out, until I became more of a normal person and just talked to my pets. That is, until recently. My cats have brought back my uncanny abilities. We have whole conversations in which their various meows actually mean something to me depending on where we are.

Sometimes they make statements and sometimes they ask questions.

In the kitchen "mep-yeow?" means "can we get some _____?" usually food, water or litter. They will follow me into the kitchen and "mep-yeow?" me until I have found whichever of those things needs replenished. They will only follow me into the kitchen if they need something.

In the living room or my bedroom "aiyow." is "pet me" or "yow?" is "what are you doing?"

I'm afraid that I am pretty obviously turning into a true Cat Lady. Please don't judge.

Guess who has Mockingjay?!

I Do!!!!

On my lunch break I popped over to Borders to pick up my copy of the 3rd and final book of the Hunger Games trilogy. I was surprised this morning to receive a 33% off coupon from Borders via email, so I thought it was destiny.

When I got there and went to check out, the girl at the register was so excited to sell me the book (she already had hers) that she found a 50% off coupon for me to use. The book ended up being about $8! I'd have paid much more.

I cannot wait to start reading. I probably won't come up for air until the middle of the night.

After getting the book, I happily strolled over to Noodles & Co to get some lunch. I was in the mood for something from their "Asian" menu. They have "Japanese Pan Noodles" that sounded good but I noticed the little chili pepper next to it indicating that is was spicy.

I really hoped I could get it without it being spicy. Here is our dialogue, paraphrased:

Noodle Girl: Can I help whose next?

Me: Hi, yes. Can I get the Japanese Pan Noodles, just not spicy?

NG: They aren't spicy.

Me: Well, your sign has a little pepper next to it saying that it is spicy.

(I point and she looks at the menu, for a really long time)

NG: Hmm, well I've had it before and its not spicy, and I like spicy food.

(At this point I probably made a bit of a face since I was thinking that is the exact opposite of convincing)

Me: Okay, I guess I'll try it. (Clearly I was convinced. Or, if not convinced, at least not dissuaded by her poor logic)

In the end, the noodles were fine (but spicy!) By the time I was finished, I definitely needed something to cool my mouth off. Luckily, we have some ice cream bars at work that did the trick.

Sara(h) Sylvia Cynthia Stout

In preparation for my mother's visit I have been cleaning a bit in my apartment. Last night I really got down to business. I had to make 4 separate trips to the dumpster to get rid of the stuff I had sitting around. One full trip was entirely empty boxes of kitty litter. I was horrified by my own neglect!

On a brighter note, my dress came in today for Allison's wedding. I took some pictures with my computer camera. It has this crazy feature where it will take 4 pictures in quick succession. This is what I tried.

The Monster Upstairs

For the last month or two I have been in Heaven. I didn't realize it because you sometimes don't notice how good things are until they go away. In the space of a couple of days, my unknown bliss has evaporated. This is due to the fact that I have a new upstairs neighbor (or it is still my old neighbor, he was just out of town for a reeeally long time). I went to bed at about 9:45 last night, but the racket didn't completely stop until about midnight. I am telling myself that it is a new neighbor, and that this neighbor suffers from some pretty bizarre maladies that render him/her/it incapable of silence.

1. Chronic Lumbering Pedestritis: A condition which renders the sufferer incapable of walking softly upon any surface, resulting in dull thuds accompanying any movement on foot.

2. Jeff Lewis Syndrome: Results in the inability of JLS + persons to settle on the proper placement of heavy furniture. Those who are JLS + can drag cumbersome objects from one place to another well into the middle of the night.

3. Whatdoicareaboutmyneighborswhomayhavejobssotheyhavetogetupinthemorningphilia: Pretty much what it sounds like. Primarily involves implementing conditions 1 & 2 after 10pm.

This is about what I picture my upstairs monster to look like:

Note the watch is 10:10, time to get to work!

The Audacity of Silence

The concert was terrific. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am so happy I went ahead and bought my ticket. I am very curious about how many of the audience members were Rufus fans and how many were brought along or otherwise had very little previous knowledge of his music. My thought is that the majority knew what they were getting into.

Martha Wainwright openend for her brother promptly at 8pm. Her set was just wonderful, her vocals were stunning and she was genuinely funny between songs. At one point, while tuning her guitar, she quipped "folk singers are supposed to talk when they tune their guitars so the audience thinks they've got it together". Her husband cam out an accompanied her on the piano for a song from her new album of "lesser known" Edith Piaf songs. The album cannot be bought in stores in the U.S. because she isn't signed with an American label. She had copies for sale in the lobby and they sold out before intermission. Her last song she did on a dare from Rufus. It was "La Vie en Rose" a cappella and without amplification. Gorgeous.

You may remember that I previously wrote about a strange request from Rufus about the first part of his act. It was true. When I bought my ticket there was a note that he asked his audience to refrain from clapping between songs until he had left the stage. Before he began, a man came out on the stage and asked everyone to remain quiet for the entire "song cycle". This caused quite a bit of murmuring in the crowd (I guess they didn't read the notice when they bought their tickets).

Rufus walked slowly onto the darkened stage. He was lit only from behind and was wearing a robe of some sort with a plumed collar Johnny Weir would envy. The train of his cape trailed 17 feet behind him (I know this because he told us during the second half of the show). He then proceeded to play through his latest album All Days are Nights in its entirety. After the first song some poor schmuck forgot the rules and began to whistle and clap. He was promptly shushed by a couple of other audience members (one of whom was sitting not far from me in the first balcony and thought that flailing his arms over the railing would somehow help to quiet they clapper sitting in the orchestra seats. This shusher was vigilant, frequently glaring in the direction of anyone who made the least noise. I came to know him as "Rufus' bouncer".) Two more songs were sung without incident before the capper forgot himself again.

I will admit that I was a bit leery of the no applause thing. I couldn't really see the point of it. I'm still not sure I really get it, but it did impact my concert experience. On the one hand it raised the tension in the audience. It takes some self control to not applaud when all your life you have done so. On the other hand, I felt it harkened back to a time before MP3 players when people would actually sit and listen to an album from beginning to end without interruption. Does anyone do that any more? I came out of the experience feeling like I had just held my breath the entire time but with a new appreciation for the songs themselves.

The second half of Rufus' show was much more typical for him. It was still just him and a piano (when I saw him in Pittsburgh he was accompanied by a band and backup singers) with Martha coming out for a couple of songs. But gone was the black robe which was replaced by an exuberant shirt/jacket/pants outfit all in a wild orange print. After thanking the audience for doing a good job of keeping quiet for the first half, he sang some of my favorite songs including my ABSOLUTE favorite "Dinner at Eight" and ended the show by singing one of his late mother's, Kate McGarrigle, songs.

I struggle to think of one other American artist (he was born in NYC but did grow up in Canada) who has the ability to entertain with such profound simplicity. He not only writes, composes and sings virtually all his songs, but he does it in two languages! Between Martha and Rufus, a good 5 songs were sung in French. I'm willing to bet 90% of the audience didn't understand more than a word or two, but the music and vocals were so amazing that it didn't matter.

I wasn't the only one to fee this way. On the way out I hear someone say the concert was the best birthday present he had ever bought for himself.

Rufus and Martha

Tomorrow night I am going to see Rufus Wainwright! I am going alone but I hope to make friends with my fellow Rufus fans. Kathryn has agreed to meet me for dinner before the show so I'll make a whole night of it.

Rufus' sister, Martha, will be opening for him and I am really excited about that, as well. She performed with him when I saw him in Pittsburgh a few years ago but didn't perform solo. Her music has grown on me over the last year or so and I think she has a gorgeous voice.

Seating Plan

I have discovered that a great way to keep someone from sitting next to you on the train is to knit. There is just something about a person wielding pointed sticks and yarn that discourages anyone from sitting next to her.

As a rule I try to be a courteous train rider. I put all my belongings on my lap and try my best to keep my feet where they belong. I don't blast music from my headphones, I don't litter or leave a Red Eye in my seat, etc. What I hadn't noticed, until today, was the effectiveness of knitting. I was feeling quite cocky about my new discovery and decided to employ it on the way home (generally considerably less crowded) and see what would happen.

I made it to Lawrence (3 stops left to go) before anyone sat next to me. This person had apparently caught on to my ploy and was having none of it. He countered my knitting needles with his newspaper. Things got uncomfortable. He was a bit too close and I found myself smushed up to the window with his elbow invading my personal space.

Needless to say, I finished the row I was working on as quickly as possible in order to re-adjust myself in my seat. This had no effect on the "gentleman" who now seemed to be dozing off and was distinctly leaning on me. To my relief, a minute later we got to my stop and I extricated myself from the situation little worse for the wear but, perhaps, a bit wiser.

The moral of the story: If you knit on the train you may get lucky and ride solo, but be prepared to share a seat with the least picky passenger.

Market Days

I went with Kathryn and Cis today to Northalsted Market Days. I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but it turned out to be We Love Erie Days with a splash of Pride. (Okay, more than a splash, it was about 50/50) It was something like 4 or 5 blocks of vendors selling mostly food and drinks with a few scattered random booths. Some of my favorites.

1. Hepatitis Vaccination Booth

2. Mexican Wrestling Masks

3. Lifeguard Chair (apparently selling nothing but a free glimpse at a guy in a speedo, which, to be honest, nobody else at the market required a lifeguard chair to wear a speedo)

There were also a number of stages with bands performing. We unfortunately missed the Chicago Spirit Brigade, but did get a chance to meet Jujube.

She was one of my favorites this season (I'm a Pandora girl at heart, though) and I thought she should have won. She was wearing platform heels and towered over us and looked super-cute in a very non-drag dress. RCN Cable put her under these low, dark blue tents and it was really hot. I think she told someone that she was looking forward to dressing as a boy in an hour or so! I couldn't imagine having to stand around in those heels, a dress, a huge wig and all that makeup to meet people. She was pretty natural looking for a drag queen and much prettier than she looked on the show (I blame lack of sleep and stress).

All in all, it was a fun afternoon of people watching and girl talk.

The Colbert Diaries

This segment appeared on last night's Colbert Report. It is cringe-inducingly wonderful. I can't believe Laura Ingraham agreed to go on the show, she was visibly uncomfortable and had to be offended.

You can view it here

I had some trouble embedding the video, so I apologize that I couldn't have it right on this page.

I loved how she thought they were playing together but he wasn't going to let her get away with that tripe. Talk about disrespectful, she has Obama writing at about a 3rd grade level. And what was that about "banshee" being racially charged because of Native Americans? I think she has her mythologies a little mixed up. As my mother knows, that is an unforgivable sin with me. At worst, she can accuse him of being anti-Irish (which is unlikely, he's actually anti-shrieking Conservative). It is almost as though she was unaware that he is just playing the part of a Conservative Pundit on the show. It is really his job to make people laugh and to send up the absurdities of politics in general and right-wing politics in particular.

The Music Within

July 26 commemorated the 20th anniversary of the American's With Disabilities Act. It is amazing to me that until 1990, disabled people were not guaranteed any sort of accommodation or even fair treatment.

A while back I saw a really good movie about the man behind the A.D.A. It was shocking and funny and unfathomable to me that I was 10 years old before the events depicted in the film had taken place.

I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

Quintessential

This weekend I watched Reality Bites, the film that (in my mind) defined Generation X. It was released in 1994 at the height of Grunge and I was 14. I loved the movie and owned the soundtrack. Stay by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories was our anthem. You couldn't listen to that song and not sing along.

Imagine my shock when I mentioned my walk down memory lane and neither of the girls I work with had any idea what "Reality Bites" is. One actually asked: "Is it a band?". I was aghast. I said that it is the St. Elmo's Fire of the 90's. That response got me nowhere.

Granted, these girls were 4 and 9 years old when "Reality Bites" came out, and not even born in time for "St. Elmo's Fire". I have made them swear to watch both movies.

This all made me wonder about the defining "coming of age" movie of the first 10 years of the new Millennium. What was it? American Pie? Superbad? Certainly not Knocked Up!

"America Pie" has to be eliminated because it was released in 1999. "Superbad" may be a contender, but it is about High School kids, not twentysomethings. I need your help. What was the defining movie of 2000-2010? It can be a comedy, drama, whatever. My only criteria is that it is set in the present and deals with the concerns of young people of the 21st century. Oh yeah, it has to be a good movie, too.

Zig-Zag

I certainly haven't had much to write about recently. This is due largely to my relative inactivity. For example, this weekend I spent most of my time watching the BBC miniseries Bleak House and knitting away. I have a couple of largish projects going right now (one which will never be completed on time) and used this weekend to get some work done.

Most of the work has been to the blanket I am making for my friend Jody's baby. She is expecting in September, so I don't have much time left to get it done. If it were a normal project, I would be knitting on the train, but it requires so many different balls of yarn that it would be impractical to try to do so. In fact, I have probably spent a good two hours just in weaving in the ends for each stripe and it is barely 1/4 finished!

Here is my progress so far:

I am quite proud of the way it looks, but I've got plenty more to do. Back to work!